Half to the james a



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet 1.

W. T. BENJAMIN. UPPER FOR LAUED SHOES.

No. 552,505. Patentd Jan. 7, 1896.

ATTORNEY-F.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

w T BENJAMIN UPPER FOR LAGED SHOES;

(No Mode l.)

NITE TATES -ATENT FFrcE.

\VILLIAM T. BENJAMIN, OF NEWARK, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOTHE JAMES A. BANISTER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

UPPER FOR LACED SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,506, dated January'7, 1896.

Application filed November 23, 1894. Serial No. 529,744.. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Newark, New Jersey, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Uppers for Laced Shoes, of which thefollowing.

is a specification.

The hooks, studs or, eyelets of shoes, being of hard and rigid materialand subject to all the pressure of the lacing or other fastening means,often give much trouble, especially with persons having tender or highinsteps or where the hook happens to come just over one of the prominentbones of the foot. In such instances, if the shde is snugly and properlylaced, the hooks or other rigid fastening devices will, by the pressureof their roughprojecting bases, cause much irritation, discomfort andpain, and the thin tongue which sometimes lies beneath them is found toaiford no efficient protection. It has been attempted to obviate thisdifficulty by reversing the fastening devices where they were eyeletsand inserting them, with their rough upset side or base outward, in astay beneath the edge of the upper. In such construction, however, thehard unyielding metal of the eyelet still came next to the foot, as wellas the thickness of the lacing, and bore upon the instep and cords ofthe ankle with much pressure unless the shoe was loosely laced, and thestrain came entirely upon the stitching which secured such stay to theupper. Moreover, those fastening devices which are almost universallyused-namely, hooks or studs-could not be applied in this way. I havetherefore been led to effect a remedy for the difficulty in question,which is applicable to all kinds of fastening devices, to hooks andstuds, as well as to eyelets, and which leaves such devices in theirusual and more convenient position.

According to 'my invention the fastening devices are inserted andsecured in the edge of the top, and I form beneath their bases aprotector which partakes more or less of the nature of a cushion,thusmaking the foot perfectly comfortable at the instep and front of theankle, imparting a fine finish to the edges of the upper and leaving thelacing strain to be imparted directly to the upper, instead of to a partstitched thereto. Ialso protect the stocking and foot from the verdigrisor rust which dampness or grease in the leather, or sweat, causes toform on the bases of the fasteners.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood I have shown inthe accompanying drawings means for carrying it into practical effect,without limiting my improvements in their useful applications to theparticular construction which for the sake of illustration I havedelineated.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front or outside view of a portion of anupper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an inside View of the same. Fig.3 is a sectional view on line III III, Fig. 1. Fig. at is a sectionalview on line IV IV, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a View of the upper and its liningunited and opened to show their interior faces. Fig. 6 is an inside viewof another form of upper also embodying my invention. VII VII, Fig. 6.Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line VIII VIII, Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a portion of a top of a lacedshoe. 2 is astrengthening-stay of canvas, leather or other suitablematerial laid beneath the front edge 3 of the top and stitched theretoat I.

5 indicates the fastening device, which may be a hook, stud or eyelet.Usually a series of eyelets is employed along the lower part of the edgeof the top, and a series of hooks along the upper part. These fasteningdevices pass through the top properly stayed, as at 2, and have theirbases riveted or upset upon the under side thereof, as shown at 6.

7 is a covering-stay of leather, cloth, felt or other substance belowthe bases 6, conforming in shape with the edge 3 of the top and securedto the latter in any desired manner. In Figs. 1 to 5 the securing meansis a line of stitching 8 at the back edge of the stay 7, which may besupplemented by short horizontal lines of stitching 9 between theeyelets and by a front line of stitching 1O opposite the hooks. Thismode of fastening the stay 7 permits the lacing (shown at 11) to pass inthrough the eyelets forward between the top and intermediate of thestitches 9 and out at the edge of the top. It will be observed that Fig.7 is a sectional view on line the instep is thus perfectly protectedfrom the ridges ordinarily formed by the lacing upon the under side ofthe upper and against the foot. The stay 7 may, however, be secured atits front edge opposite the eyelets by a line 12 of stitching, Fig. 6,which will be a 0011- tinnation of the stitching 10. In such case thestay 7 will be perforated, as at 13, opposite the eyelets, to permit thepassage of the lacing. By the stay thus perforated the foot will beprotected from the projecting bases (3, as well as when the stay isimperforate.

It will be understood that the covering-stay 7 may both be perforatedand stitched, as at 9, leaving the wearer to pass the lacing eitherthrough the perforations or out between the top and the stay, accordingto preference, or said covering-stay may be left perfectly free andunst-itched at its outer edge.

14 is the top lining, which may be of canvas stitched to the top edge ofthe upper, as shown at 15. At the forward edge, however, I prefer tounite the lining with the stay 7, as shown at 16, extending its edge 17forward under the bases 6 to aid in the forming of a cushion beneaththem by serving as a filling within the stay 7.

It will be understood that by the term laced shoe I intend any shoehaving hooks, v

studs, eyelets or other fastening devices at its front or side fromwhich the foot requires 1 protection, whether or not such devices areunited by a string. The invention also includes shoes which are notactually laced, but which have imitation fastening devices and lacing,and are otherwise adapted, as by elastic gores, to be put on and off.

I claim 1. In an upper for laced shoes, the combination with the tophaving eyelets or hooks secured in its edge, of a cushioning staysecured to the top, conforming to the edge thereof, perforated oppositeto said fastening devices and situated beneath the bases of the latter,substantially as set forth.

2. In an upper for laced shoes, the combination with the top havingfastening devices secured in its edge, of a cushioning stay secured tothe top conforming to the edge there of, situated beneath the bases ofsaid fastening devices, and having an opening or openings at its frontedge for the passage of the lacing out between'the top and stay,substantially as set forth.

3. In an upper for laced shoes, the combination with the top havingeyelets or hooks secured in its edge, of a cushioning stay secured tothe top, conforming to the edge of the same and situated beneath thebases of said fastening devices, and secured to the top along one edge,and the top lining having its edge between said bases and the stay,substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twowitnesses.

W. T. BENJAMIN. \Vitnesses WM. HASELMAYER, J. IV. DENNY.

